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Barcelona on Sunday adopted the recommendation of coach Ronald Koeman and paid tribute to their former participant Diego Maradona with an emphatic return to kind in La Liga and a 4-0 victory over Osasuna. Maradona, who performed two seasons for Barca, died on Wednesday aged 60. Before the match, the membership performed ‘The Song of the Birds’ by Catalan cellist Pablo Casals because the groups stood across the centre circle the place a Maradona shirt was laid on the centre spot. Lionel Messi, who has inherited Maradona’s legendary Argentina quantity 10 shirt, bowed his head.
Flags on the Camp Nou flew at half mast, Maradona’s picture was displayed on each display and digital promoting hoardings whereas a membership official held a framed Maradona Barcelona shirt.
The Catalans have been struggling in La Liga and began the sport 14th.
On Friday, Koeman stated the very best tribute his staff may pay Maradona was to “show what we can do on the pitch”.
He recalled Messi and Frenkie de Jong, who weren’t within the squad for Tuesday’s 4-0 Champions League win at Dynamo Kiev, and likewise began Antoine Griezmann, who was on the bench in Ukraine.
Barcelona took the lead after 29 minutes when the ball lobbed into the online off Martin Braithwaite’s knee following a scramble in entrance of aim.
Messi appeared to be making an attempt a tribute to Maradona’s well-known ‘Hand of God’ aim in opposition to England in 1986 as he leapt after the floating ball stretching his left arm towards it however the referee deemed he didn’t make contact.
It was Braithwaite’s first aim on the Camp Nou and adopted the Denmark ahead’s midweek strike in Kiev.
Griezmann scored with a robust left-foot volley from exterior the field within the 42nd minute.
The France World Cup winner then handed up a taking pictures probability within the 56th minute to roll a go throughout the aim and arrange a tap-in for Philippe Coutinho.
As Barcelona rediscovered their innovative, Ousmane Dembele had a strike dominated out for offside.
Messi received his aim within the 74th minute with a stunning strike.
He picked up the ball in midfield, danced previous two defenders and smashed a rising left-foot shot into the highest far nook.
He celebrated by pulling off his Barcelona shirt to disclose a classic Newell’s Old Boys jersey from Maradona’s one season with the membership in Rosario, Argentina.
“It was a great moment,” stated Koeman. “Leo’s goal, his gesture dedicated to Maradona.”
“It was something very big. We Europeans don’t realise how big Maradona is in Argentina.”
Promoted
Earlier this week, Newell’s tweeted {a photograph} from Maradona’s debut exhibiting a six-year-old native prodigy, in the identical black and purple shirt, doing ball tips for the gang at half-time. That boy was Messi.
Barcelona climbed to eighth, nonetheless 9 factors behind leaders Real Sociedad, who play later, and Atletico Madrid.
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